Bake your next batch of brownies with beets for a delicious, red velvety experience

We’ve all heard of avocado brownies before, but what about beet brownies? Brownies are the OG of baked goods, but every once and a while it’s time to try a new recipe. Beet puree may be the perfect ingredient to turn your regular brownies into decadent red velvet brownies. Watch the video below to follow the recipe. And remember: Beets are a vegetable, so it’s like these brownies don’t even count as dessert.

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Beet brownies

Serves 16 (serving size: 1 brownie)
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 50 minutes

Ingredients:

BROWNIES
1 lb. red beets, peeled and quartered
1 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking bar, divided
1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. instant espresso granules
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FROSTING
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (16-oz.) box powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. beet puree

Recipe:
1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap quartered beets in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until very soft, about 50 minutes. Remove beets from oven, unwrap, and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Place beets in a food processor, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. (This should yield about 1 1/4 cup beet puree.) Reserve 2 tablespoons of the puree for the frosting.
2. Chop half of the chocolate bar. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave at medium (50% power) until melted, about 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds.
3. Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso granules, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, melted chocolate-butter mixture, and 1 cup of the beet puree in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined. Chop remaining half of chocolate bar; stir chopped chocolate and chocolate chips into batter.
4. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing 3 inches to hang over each side. Pour batter into pan, and spread in an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until a pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove brownies from oven, and let cool in pan 10 minutes. Use aluminum foil edges as “handles” to remove brownies from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
5. Prepare the frosting: Beat together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in reserved beet puree. Spread desired amount of frosting over brownies; reserve remaining frosting for another use. Use aluminum foil edges as “handles” to transfer brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares. Remove aluminum foil.